Small craft boarding platform



- y 20, 1965 D. c. THORNBURG ETAL 3,E95,68@

SMALL CRAFT BOARDING PLATFORM 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed July 2, 1963Del/0e 6. Hamburg John 6. Kelly, 81:

INVENTORS y 20, 1955 D. c. THORNBURG ETAL 3,195,680

SMALL CRAFT BOARDING PLATFORM Filed July 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet '2Del/0e C. Thornburg John 6. Kelly, Sn

INVENTORS.

United States Patent 3,1956% SMALL CRAFT BGARDKNG PLATFGRM Dev-be C.Thornburg and John (3. Kelly, Sin, both of Winchester, ind, said Keily,$32., assignor to Devoe C.

Thornhurg Fiied July 2, 1%3, Ser. No. 292,388 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-922}This invention relates to small craft and boat boarding equipment, moreparticularly, to a multipurpose device designed for attachment to andfeasible use on the transom of a boat and which, when properly attached,is available for use by swimmers as a safe and reliable boarding aidand, in addition, as a standing and diving platform.

As above suggested and hereinafter more specifically revealed, theinstant concept relates, broadly construed, to a special purpose transomattachment characterized by a unique platform for boarding and divingand for other purposes which are regarded as a long-felt need forthoughtful and experienced boatsmen. To these ends, a strong and durablebut light in weight platform is provided. It is such in constructionthat it promotes safe and sane boating pleasure and in addition providesa highly useful workers or working platform affording access to theboats propeller.

With further respect to the platform insofar as it pertains to theaforementioned workers aid it should be added that it functions toprovide the skipper with a reliable seating, standing and workingsurface and affords convenience and comfort while repairing or replacinga propeller, or while Working on the power head or other accessiblecomponent part of an outboard motor. To this end the platform projectssubstantially horizontally and outwardly beyond the transom and has itsforward end bracketed to the transom at a place within the convenientrange of the outboard motor.

The invention features, in addition to the platform and means forbracketing the sane on the transom, and a stirrup-like step which issuspended from a free or rearward end of the platform and constitutes asimple ladder which assists in conjunction with the platform in enablingthe user to board the craft.

Further novelty is predicated on the bracket-attached platform with thesuspended step or ladder wherein the latter is foldable, when not inuse, to an out-of the-Way position atop the cooperating platform. Then,too, noveL ty is present in the appropriation and use of a stirrup-typestep wherein the step when down for use resides in a plane which isnormally a few inches above the water line where it is in readiness foruse in the event that an occupant of the boat, in case of accident,fails or tumbles overboard into the water. In this connection it is tobe pointed out that this regulated position of the step or ladder is ofsignificant importance on inboards and larger outboards many of whichare being currently built with a higher freeboard.

It is also a matter of significance to note here that two forms orembodiments of the invention are herein disclosed and that one form orembodiment is expressly designed and adapted for outboard boats having amotorcutout of sufficient width (12 to inches) on either side of theusual outboard motor attaching and hanger bracket, or between motorswhere a twin motor installation is involved. This particular model orform clamps on the transom much Hke currently used outboard motors. Theother embodiment or form is designed and adapted for use on inboards,inboard outdrives, or on outboard boats with transom cutouts which aretoo narrow for the firstnamed form. In connection with thesecond-mentioned embodiment permanently fixed mounting brackets areemployed as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

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These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing one embodiment of theinvention and illustrating the above firstnamed embodiment, that is theembodiment for outboard boats having a transom with the aforementionedmotor cutout (not shown) on either side of the outboard motor bracketand illustrating the platform and depending stirrup-like step inreadiness for aid and boarding purposes;

FIGURE 2 is a view on a suitably enlarged scale with the cooperatingcomponent parts in section and elevation, said view being takenapproximately on the plane of the section line 2'2 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail section on the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view in fragmentary perspective similar to FIG. 1 andshowing the second form or modification wherein the main change is inthe attaching brackets and mounting brackets which are fixed on the boattransom;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view showing in perspecfive the mountingbrackets, and

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 6-6 of FIG. 5showing the platform attaching brackets removably fitted and anchored inthe mounting bracket.

Reference will be made first to FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, andparticularly FIG. 1 which is exemplary of the firstrnentioned embodimentor form of the invention. The platform is denoted by the numeral 8 andis elongated and generally rectangular in plan and has a flat topsurface it and a flat bottom surface 12, a rearward free transverse end14 and a forward gradually narrowed attaching neck or shank 16 with afree terminal edge portion L; (FIG. 2). This platform can be made ofmarine plywood with all surfaces sealed and enameled. The major area ofthe top surface is provided with a fixedly attached nonskid mat 2d.

The shank or neck portion 16 is detachably mounted between appropriatelyarranged bolts one of which is denoted at 22 (FIG. 2), this being abovethe top surface of the board, and a pair of companion bolts 24 and 26.The bolts are provided with sleeves which are denoted at 28, 29 and 36.These sleeves also serve as spacers in that they are interposed betweenspaced parallel depending fiange or skirt portions 32 of the pairedattaching brackets 34. These brackets are the same in construction and adescription of one will suffice for both. To this end it will be notedparticularly in FIG. 2 that each bracket has an abutment 36 whichresides firmly against the cooperating surface of the boat transom 33,the upper part thereof being fashioned into a hook 40 which is engagedover the upper edge portion 42 of the transom. This hook terminates in ascrew-threaded nut 44 having an adjusting and retaining screw dothreaded therein and terminating in a swivelly mounted end thrust headil; which is engageable with the surface 50 of the transom and which isprovided at an outer operable end with an appropriate handle orfingergrip 52 for convenient operation. These coacting flanges 3d and 38have stabilizing ribs 54 and 56 cooperable therewith and shapedconforiningly. Then, too, additional outstanding flanges 58 are providedand these are integral at their inner ends with the abutment flanges 36.These flanges facilitate piloting the free end portion 18 of the shank16 into the supporting position illustrated.

It will be evident that the brackets 34 are in many respects similar tooutboard motor attaching brackets (not herein shown). However and in theinstant situathe invention illustrated in FIG. 1.

x? tion the brackets are made precisely to anchor and support the shankportion 16 of the wooden or equivalent platform. In addition the bolts22, 24 and 26 assist in assembling and retaining the brackets in properspaced relation. A fourth bolt 60 is provided and this bolt in turn isprovided with a reinforcing and spacing sleeve 62, said bolt extendingthrough the upper portions of the ribs 56 as shown with particularity inFIG. 3.

The rearward end portion 14 of the supported and bracketed platform isprovided with a foldaway stirruplike step or ladder unit which isdenoted at 64. The unit comprises a pair of rigid spaced paralleldepending legs 66 having headed lower ends 68 supporting the aperturedend portions of the step 70. The upper ends of the legs are carried byattaching brackets 72 having ear-like lugs 74- which are hingedlymounted at 76 on depending portions 73 of adapter clips 8% (FIG. 2). Thedepending portions 78 are provided with screw-threaded holes 82toaccommodate insertable and removable limit stop screws 84 whichfunction (as shown in FIG. 2) to limit the swinging movement of the unit64 in a direction from left to right, that is in a direction toward theboat transom. With this construction and by reason of the fact that themembers 78 are flush with the lengthwise edges of the platform board andthe hinging members 72 are mounted as shown, the step or ladder as aunit can be swung upwardly from the full line boarding positionillustrated in FIG. 1 to the phantom line out-of-the-way (or out-of-use)position. It will be evident that the use of the platform and step as anassembly will function to keep the interior of the boat dry and tidy andwill also provide swimmers and divers with safety and pleasure of usingthe ladder and platform as a boarding aid and also for diving purposes.The ladder legs, fixtures and brackets are made of cast aluminum and theplatform and step are both made of specially prepared and coated wood orany equivalent but suitable material. and ladder are engineered as astructural entity, to give the user years of dependable service. Theinvention provides a variety of uses the need for which has long beenfelt by boatsmen.

With reference now to the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 itwill be evident that the same reference numerals are employed in FIG. 4as have been used in FIG. 1 in describing the platform 8 and theboarding ladder or step means 64. However, the brackets here aredifferent in construction. For instance as shown in FIG. a pair ofsubstantially U-shaped mounting brackets are provided. These bracketsare denoted at 86 and are the same in construction. This is to say thevertical elongated portions or members 88 are channel-shaped incross-section and define holddown and anchoring tracks. The adjoiningbight portion is denoted at $8. Ear-like lugs 92 are provided and theselugs are bolted, screwed or otherwise fastened in place as at 94 on thesurface of the transom 96. For sake of distinction the mounting units 86may be conveniently classed as mounting fixtures. The attaching andretaining brackets for the platform .are denoted by the numeral 5 andeach bracket has horizontal flanges 98 which are integral with and. areat right angles to the keying and anchoring flanges 100. The latterflanges are fitted down into the grooves or tracks and wedged into placein a seemingly evident manner. In addition, reinforcing webs or ribs 102and 104 are provided. Then, too, the brackets are further provided andjoined together with anchoring bolts 106 and 108 (FIG. 4) having spacingsleeves 110 thereon. Inthis construction the brackets can be permanentlyattached to the platform or the platform can be detachably connected tothe brackets and the brackets in turn detachably joined to the U-shapedtransom fixtures 86. This second form of the invention is for use oninboards, inboard outdrives, or on outboard boats with transom cutoutswhich are too narrow for the form or type of The step It is believedthat a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction withthe illustrative figures of the drawing will enable the reader to obtaina clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction andarrangement and cooperation of the component parts in both embodimentsof the invention and, in addition, the inherent features and advantages.Therefore, a more extended description is thought to be unnecessary.

The forgoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of theinvention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown and tiescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

'What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a pair of opposed spaced parallel attaching unitsdesigned and adapted to be mounted in a given vertical position on theoutboard surface of a boat transom, a plurality of coordinating upperand lower horizontally disposed platform attaching and retaining boltscarried by and joining said units together, a safetytype boardingplatform projecting rearwardly from and lateral to said transom andhaving a forward end portion constituting an attaching and retainingshank, said shank being fitted between said units and having portionsthereof oriented with and located in cooperating relationship with saidbolts, a stirrup-like emergency boat boarding ladder comprising a pairof depending rigid legs straddling said platform and having their upperends hingedly mounted on a cooperating outer end portion of saidplatform, said legs being of a length less than the length of saidplatform and being provided at lower ends thereof with an interveningand cooperatively attached step, said step being of a length greaterthan the width of said platform and of a transverse cross-sectionslightly greater than the correspondingcross-section of said legs andconstitutin and providing a conveniently grippable hand-hold.

'2. An attachment for the stern of a small boat comprising: a rigidelongated multipurpose platformon which the user can stand, squat or sitwhile changing a propeller on a large outboard motor or an inboardoutdrive unit, a pair of platform mounting and supporting bracketshaving vertical abutments adapted to bear directly and firmly against anexterior of said stern and detachably connectible therewith, saidabutments having integral outstanding rigidifying ribs, the inner end ofsaid platform being insertable and removably fitted between andconnected to said ribs, said platform being of a length and width thatit can be used for diving by swimmers, clips affixed to the cornerportions of the outer end of said platform, said clips depending belowthe underneath surface of said platform and having outer surfaces flushwith the respective longitudinal edges of said platform, a platform andboat boarding stirrup embodying a pair of rigid legs provided betweentheir lower ends with arigidly attached rung-like dual purpose safetystep and hand-hold, and hinging members hingedly mounted on outervertical sides of said clips, the upper ends of said legs being joinedto said hinging members.

3. An attachment for the transom of a small boat comprising a pair ofattaching brackets each embodying a vertically elongated flat abutmentadapted to reside firmly and flatwise against an exterior surface ofsaid transom, the upper end of said abutment having a hook to engageover the upper horizontal edge of said transom, said hook being providedwith attaching and clamping means, each abutment being provided with anoutstanding flangelike stabilizing rib coextensive in length therewith,an elongated rigid platform having a flat top side with an anti-skidsurface, the inner end portion of said platform being insertably andremovably fitted and secured between the ribs of the respectivebrackets, a boat boarding stirrup embodying a pair of rigid legs havinga step between their lower ends, clips afiixed to the respective cornerportions situated at the outer free end of said platform, said clipsbeing in opposed spaced-apart relationship, duplicated and having bodyportions depending below the plane of the underneath side of saidplatform and also having outer surfaces which are flush with therespective outer longitudinal edges of said platform, socket membershingedly mounted on said clips the upper ends of said legs being securedto their respectively cooperable socket members, said legs comprisingcylindrical rods, said rods having lower headed ends and said rodspassing upwardly through corresponding cooperating apertured endportions of the cooperating ste 4. In combination, a small boat having atransom, a pair of U-shaped adapter fixtures aflixed flatwise on theexterior of said transom midway between the upper and lower horizontaledge portions of said tarnsom, said fixtures having channel-shapedportions defining and providing anchoring tracks, platform supportingbrackets having anchoring flanges fitted and removably keyed in theirrespective tracks, said flanges being provided with outstandingreinforcing ribs, a plurality of horizontally disposed sleeve-coveredbolts mounted between cooperat- References Ilited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 305,100 9/84 Moore 182-187 560,752 5/96 Prator 18295711,384 10/02 Carman 182119 2,168,111 8/39 Barnes 182-187 2,493,639 1/50Pellegrani 182- 2,641,785 6/53 Pitts 182-131 2,785,842 3/57 Phelps 182922,964,767 12/60 Egbert 182-150 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, CHARLES E. OCON- NEL, Examiners.

1. IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF OPPOSED SPACED PARALLEL ATTACHING UNITSDESIGNED AND ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A GIVEN VERTICAL POSITION ON THEOUTBOARD SURFACE OF A BOAT TRANSOM, A PLURALITY OF COORDINATING UPPERAND LOWER HORIZONTLLY DISPOSED PLATFORM ATTACHING AND RETAINING BOLTSCARRIED BY AND JOINING SAID UNITS TOGETHER, A SAFETYTYPE BOARDINGPLATFORM PROJECTING REARWARDLY FROM AND LATERAL TO SAID TRANSOM ANDHAVING A FORWARD END PORTION CONSTITUTING AN ATTACHING AND RETAININGSHANK, SAID SHANK BEING FITTED BETWEEN SAID UNITS AND HAVING PORTIONSTHEREOF ORIENTED WITH AND LOCATED IN COOPERATING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAIDBOLTS, A STIRRUP-LIKE EMERGENCY BOAT BOARDING LADDER COMPRISING A PAIROF DEPENDING RIGID LEGS STRADDLING SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING THEIR UPPERENDS HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON A COOPERATING OUTER END PORTION OF SAIDPLATFORM, SAID LEGS BEING OF A LENGTH LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAIDPLATFORM AND BEING PROVIDED AT LOWER ENDS THEREOF WITH AN INTERVENTINGAND COOPERATIVELY ATTACHED